Daryl Washington wants to be 'the guy' for the Arizona Cardinals

St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, left, is sacked by Arizona Cardinals inside linebacker Daryl Washington during the second quarter of an NFL football game, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton has stressed all season that he wants someone to step up and "be the guy."

"We think we have a lot of good players, a lot of good depth behind good players," Horton said. "Our thing is, you be the guy."

Linebacker Daryl Washington appears to be the man for the job.

"He has publicly mentioned that 'I want to be the face of the franchise, I want to be Larry [Fitzgerald], I want to be Adrian [Wilson], I want to be that guy,' which takes a lot of responsibility," Horton said.

Since the Cardinals drafted him in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, Washington has been a force to be reckoned with.

This season, he leads the team in tackles (68), sacks (8) and forced fumbles (2).

"He is backing everything up, and he is doing a fantastic job," Horton. "We are glad we have him. He is relentless in everything he does."

Cardinals' fans can rest easy knowing that this talented linebacker will be around for a while. Prior to the season, Washington signed a contract that keeps him in the Valley for the next six years.

Washington and the Cardinals return to action Sunday when they travel to Green Bay and take on the Packers.